Exploring the UK

East England

Dominated by farmland, with some of the best grain growing areas in the whole country, the East of England offers a wide variety of tourist attractions that will satisfy the most discerning holiday maker as well as those visiting for business.

The region to the North is dominated by the county of Norfolk, famous in times past for its windmills, more recently for the vast holiday area of the Norfolk Broads, which also covers the neighbouring broads area in nearby Suffolk, where the hiring of both sailing and motor boats is a popular pastime and 200km of navigable water is available. Beautiful beaches are dominant in the Norfolk and Suffolk areas.

The county and city of Cambridge is dominated by the world famous University of Cambridge, which is the second oldest university in the English speaking world, thought to have been formed by scholars leaving The University of Oxford around the beginning of the 13th century. The area is typically flat with fens, former wetlands which stretched through Eastern England the largest being known as the Bedford level.

To the south of the region the area of Essex could be described as the playground for London which really came to prominence with the coming of the railways in the Victorian era. The area is dominated by the River Thames and the North Sea so as you would expect entertainment and tourism is to a large degree based on this. The area has one of Britainís busiest airports, Stansted, and provides excellent links to Europe and the rest of Britain. Because of itís proximity to London the area is very popular with commuters.

Bedfordshire boasts a number of attractions that are popular with millions who visit the area including Woburn Abbey, Woburn Safari Park and Whipsnade Wildlife Park, amongst many. The area is dominated by excellent trunk roads including the A1 and M1 and all of Englandís main line rail services run through the county, getting here is not a problem and there is no lack of excellent accommodation for the businessman or tourist.

Hertfordshire is an ideal base for visiting London and has first class links to the capital by road and rail. Because of this the area is in the commuter belt but the county has a long history, popular with the Romans. Aviation is prominent in the history of Hertfordshire being the home of the de Haviland Aircraft Company, now BAE systems, makers of the famous Tiger Moth, Mosquito fighter and Comet amongst many.

Aviation features highly throughout the East England region, and R.A.F. airfields and museums celebrating the early and later years of flight are readily accessible where you can discover Britainís great aviation history, from the very beginnings of flight - with balloons and airships, to the present day airfields.